5 REASONS TO SUPPORT THE MHI-PAC WHAT TYPES OF FUNDS CAN THE PAC ACCEPT? WHERE WILL MY CONTRIBUTIONS GO? WHO CAN BE SOLICITED? THE LAW HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE? HOW MUCH CAN I CONTRIBUTE? WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION? PAC FUNDRAISING SCHEDULE SENDING PAC CONTRIBUTIONS BY CHECK OR CREDIT CARD ARE CONTRIBUTIONS TAX DEDUCTABLE? HOW DOES MHI-PAC DECIDE WHICH CANDIDATES TO SUPPORT? 4 EASY STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL MHI-PAC COMPANY SOLICITATION CAMPAIGN ANY QUESTIONS?

5 REASONS TO SUPPORT THE MHI-PAC

1. What’s the advantage of contributing to MHI-PAC vs. contributing to candidates directly?

2. Your MHI-PAC dollars go farther. We combine your support with that of hundreds of other members, giving our industry a larger budget for support. Every dollar you contribute goes directly to help candidates for the House and Senate.

3. MHI-PAC, by law, can provide more support to candidates than can individuals directly.

4. MHI-PAC’s track record of picking “winners” is outstanding. In the 2008 elections, over 93 percent of those who received MHI-PAC support were elected to Congress.

5. MHI-PAC focuses its support on key lawmakers who are most likely to shape the issues that affect our industry.

6. We handle all the paperwork for you, including all the reporting to the Federal Election Commission.

WHAT TYPES OF FUNDS CAN THE PAC ACCEPT?

The Manufactured Housing Institute Federal Political Action Committee can accept voluntary contributions from individual members who have authorized participation. All contributions are voluntary, and must be personal, not corporate.

WHERE WILL MY CONTRIBUTIONS GO

100% of the PAC contributions go directly to candidates running for Congress

WHO CAN BE SOLICITED

Voluntary contributions may be accepted from any U.S. citizen. However, solicitation for contribution is limited to the salaried executive, managerial, administrative staff, special members and trustees of MHI’s member institutions. No corporate contributions can be accepted.

THE LAW

To ensure compliance with federal election laws and regulations the following points must be followed:

1. Written solicitations should be on personal stationery or PAC letterhead. Please contact Rae Ann Bevington (RBevington@mfghome.org)to request PAC letterhead. The PAC staff can also forward an electronic image of the PAC for your use.

2. PAC solicitations should not be a regular agenda item for official staff meetings. PAC solicitations can take place at the facility, but preferably during a lunch gathering, breaks, or after work hours.

3. MHI-PAC contributions cannot be solicited at meetings where non-MHI members are present.

4. Employees assisting the CEO with solicitation efforts should be doing so voluntarily.

5. All solicitations must include the following disclaimer: Your contribution to MHI-PAC must be personal – not corporate. Contributions to this committee are not deductible on federal tax returns. Maximum annual individual contribution is $5,000. Federal law require political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose aggregate contributions are in excess of $200 per calendar year. All contributions are voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. Contributions from foreign nationals are prohibited.

6. A completed contribution card that is provided to you by MHI-PAC must accompany each contribution.

7. Cash can be contributed up to $100. Contributions greater than $100 must be given in the form of a personal check,Visa, MasterCard, American Express. The maximum annual contribution to MHI-PAC is $5,000 per individual.

8. Contributions collected by a member company must be sent to MHI-PAC within 10 days.

9. Contributions to MHI-PAC are not tax deductible.

HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE
Contributions must be by personal check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to MHI-PAC.

HOW MUCH CAN I CONTRIBUTE?

Any individual may contribute up to $5,000 per year to the MHI-PAC.

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION?

All contributions are appreciated, but MHI-PAC has formed several clubs to recognize those individuals making substantial donations to the PAC Fund.

- Millennium Club ($2,000)
- Chairman’s Club ($1,000)
- 535 Club ($535)

Members of these clubs will be recognized at the Manufactured Housing Institute’s Annual Meeting.

PAC FUNDRAISING SCHEDULE

Since MHI-PAC operates on a calendar year, we request that you begin your PAC fundraising drive in January. We request that all fundraising campaigns be concluded by November 1st so all political contributions may be deposited by December 31.

SENDING PAC CONTRIBUTIONS BY CHECK OR CREDIT CARD

Contributors can send personal checks or their credit card information directly to MHI-PAC at 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 610, Arlington, VA 22301-3040. To comply with election regulations, all contributors must fill out and return the PAC pledge card with their contribution. The chief executive officer or designated PAC representative may also collect individual checks and forward them to the PAC.

ARE CONTRIBUTIONS TAX DEDUCTABLE?

Contributions to all PACs, including MHI-PAC, are not deductible for income tax purposes.

HOW DOES MHI-PAC DECIDE WHICH CANDIDATES TO SUPPORT?

The MHI-PAC has a five-point contribution criteria test to evaluate the commitment of a candidate to the Manufactured Housing Industry.

• Committee Assignments and Seniority. Does the candidate serve on a key congressional committee which deals with industry issues? Is the candidate a senior Member of Congress or part of his/her party’s leadership team?


• Voting Record. Does the candidate support our industry through votes and co-sponsorships on helpful legislation
  
• Accessibility. Has the candidate made an effort to reach out to the manufactured housing industry on the local level or met with MHI’s government affairs staff?
• Electibility. Does the candidate have a realist chance of winning the race?
  
• Need. What is the candidate’s current cash-on-hand? Is this amount sufficient to run an effective campaign in that particular district? Does the candidate have credible opposition?

• Before soliciting PAC contributions, your chief executive officer must sign an authorization form designating MHI-PAC as the sole political action committee (PAC) authorized to solicit your employees.
• Ask your employees (executive, professional personnel and its shareholders) to join you in supporting MHI-PAC. Develop a list of all eligible employees to be solicited. An eligible employee is an employee considered to be an “exempt employee” under federal labor laws. You may not reimburse your employees for their personal contributions to MHI-PAC.
  
• Designate a company PAC coordinator to serve as the initial point of contact from your company and they will help organize the PAC fundraising campaign within your corporation.
  
• Have the coordinator send the above list electronically in an excel format to MHI-PAC via email or disk. Rae Ann Bevington, Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs, will send letters and pledge card materials to the employees listed.